What Matters for Ad-hoc Video Search? A Large-scale Evaluation on TRECVID

Abstract Background Truly patient-centred care needs to be aligned with what patients consider important, and is highly desirable in the first 24 h of an acute admission, as many decisions are made during this period. However, there is limited knowledge on what matters most to patients in this phase of their hospital stay. The objective of this study was to identify what mattered most to patients in acute care and to assess the patient perspective as to whether their treating doctors were aware of this. Methods This was a large-scale, qualitative, flash mob study, conducted simultaneously in sixty-six hospitals in seven countries, starting November 14th 2018, ending 50 h later. One thousand eight hundred fifty adults in the first 24 h of an acute medical admission were interviewed on what mattered most to them, why this mattered and whether they felt the treating doctor was aware of this. Results The most reported answers to “what matters most (and why)?” were ‘getting better or being in good health’ (why: to be with family/friends or pick-up life again), ‘getting home’ (why: more comfortable at home or to take care of someone) and ‘having a diagnosis’ (why: to feel less anxious or insecure). Of all patients, 51.9% felt the treating doctor did not know what mattered most to them. Conclusions The priorities for acutely admitted patients were ostensibly disease- and care-oriented and thus in line with the hospitals’ own priorities. However, answers to why these were important were diverse, more personal, and often related to psychological well-being and relations. A large group of patients felt their treating doctor did not know what mattered most to them. Explicitly asking patients what is important and why, could help healthcare professionals to get to know the person behind the patient, which is essential in delivering patient-centred care. Trial registration NTR (Netherlands Trial Register) NTR7538.

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Allometric Equations for Estimating Biomass and Carbon Stocks in Afforested Open Woodlands with Black Spruce and Jack Pine, in the Eastern Canadian Boreal Forest

Forests ◽

10.3390/f12010059 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 12 (1) ◽

pp. 59

Author(s):

Olivier Fradette ◽

Charles Marty ◽

Pascal Tremblay ◽

Daniel Lord ◽

Jean-François Boucher

Keyword(s):

Large Scale ◽

Ad Hoc ◽

Black Spruce ◽

Tree Height ◽

Jack Pine ◽

Carbon Stocks ◽

Allometric Equations ◽

C Stocks ◽

The Difference ◽

Canadian Boreal Forest

Allometric equations use easily measurable biometric variables to determine the aboveground and belowground biomasses of trees. Equations produced for estimating the biomass within Canadian forests at a large scale have not yet been validated for eastern Canadian boreal open woodlands (OWs), where trees experience particular environmental conditions. In this study, we harvested 167 trees from seven boreal OWs in Quebec, Canada for biomass and allometric measurements. These data show that Canadian national equations accurately predict the whole aboveground biomass for both black spruce and jack pine trees, but underestimated branches biomass, possibly owing to a particular tree morphology in OWs relative to closed-canopy stands. We therefore developed ad hoc allometric equations based on three power models including diameter at breast height (DBH) alone or in combination with tree height (H) as allometric variables. Our results show that although the inclusion of H in the model yields better fits for most tree compartments in both species, the difference is minor and does not markedly affect biomass C stocks at the stand level. Using these newly developed equations, we found that carbon stocks in afforested OWs varied markedly among sites owing to differences in tree growth and species. Nine years after afforestation, jack pine plantations had accumulated about five times more carbon than black spruce plantations (0.14 vs. 0.80 t C·ha−1), highlighting the much larger potential of jack pine for OW afforestation projects in this environment.

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Sensor System: A Survey of Sensor Type, Ad Hoc Network Topology and Energy Harvesting Techniques

Electronics ◽

10.3390/electronics10020219 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 10 (2) ◽

pp. 219

Author(s):

Phuoc Duc Nguyen ◽

Lok-won Kim

Keyword(s):

Energy Harvesting ◽

Large Scale ◽

Ad Hoc ◽

Sensor Nodes ◽

Sensor System ◽

Wireless Sensor ◽

The Internet ◽

Original Research ◽

Energy Scavenging ◽

Term Operation

People nowadays are entering an era of rapid evolution due to the generation of massive amounts of data. Such information is produced with an enormous contribution from the use of billions of sensing devices equipped with in situ signal processing and communication capabilities which form wireless sensor networks (WSNs). As the number of small devices connected to the Internet is higher than 50 billion, the Internet of Things (IoT) devices focus on sensing accuracy, communication efficiency, and low power consumption because IoT device deployment is mainly for correct information acquisition, remote node accessing, and longer-term operation with lower battery changing requirements. Thus, recently, there have been rich activities for original research in these domains. Various sensors used by processing devices can be heterogeneous or homogeneous. Since the devices are primarily expected to operate independently in an autonomous manner, the abilities of connection, communication, and ambient energy scavenging play significant roles, especially in a large-scale deployment. This paper classifies wireless sensor nodes into two major categories based the types of the sensor array (heterogeneous/homogeneous). It also emphasizes on the utilization of ad hoc networking and energy harvesting mechanisms as a fundamental cornerstone to building a self-governing, sustainable, and perpetually-operated sensor system. We review systems representative of each category and depict trends in system development.

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Current State of (Dis)Integration: Public Health and Fusion Centers

Journal of Homeland Security and Emergency Management ◽

10.1515/jhsem-2018-0076 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 17 (2) ◽

Author(s):

Cody Minks ◽

Anke Richter

Keyword(s):

Public Health ◽

Law Enforcement ◽

Information Sharing ◽

Homeland Security ◽

Large Scale ◽

Ad Hoc ◽

Limiting Factor ◽

Fusion Centers ◽

Public Health Emergencies ◽

Public Health Information

AbstractObjectiveResponding to large-scale public health emergencies relies heavily on planning and collaboration between law enforcement and public health officials. This study examines the current level of information sharing and integration between these domains by measuring the inclusion of public health in the law enforcement functions of fusion centers.MethodsSurvey of all fusion centers, with a 29.9% response rate.ResultsOnly one of the 23 responding fusion centers had true public health inclusion, a decrease from research conducted in 2007. Information sharing is primarily limited to information flowing out of the fusion center, with little public health information coming in. Most of the collaboration is done on a personal, informal, ad-hoc basis. There remains a large misunderstanding of roles, capabilities, and regulations by all parties (fusion centers and public health). The majority of the parties appear to be willing to work together, but there but there is no forward momentum to make these desires a reality. Funding and staffing issues seem to be the limiting factor for integration.ConclusionThese problems need to be urgently addressed to increase public health preparedness and enable a decisive and beneficial response to public health emergencies involving a homeland security response.

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